The Lesson For The Week:  Courage
by Whispering Molly
Summary: Mr. Schuester's lesson plan for the week has unintended consequences for closeted couple Rachel Berry and Quinn Fabray.  One-shot/AH- changed history from around "Blame it on the Alcohol" episode


**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. That belongs to Fox, Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan.**

**A/N: This is alternate history. I would say current timeline, but different outcome starting around "Blame It on the Alcohol" episode. It's just a little one-shot that came to me on my drive home from work one night when two songs happened to shuffle back to back on my iPod. Also, you're all kind of my guinea pigs (hope you don't mind). I've never written in second person form. I experimented with "Warbler" in that I had Quinn in third person and Rachel in first partly because I've never written in first person either. Some liked it and some didn't. Please let me know what you think of this one. I tried it as a test for my own personal writing practice, but also because I wanted this story to feel personal but only through Quinn's POV and since I already did first person on my last attempt I decided for second person with this one. So it would be really awesome, if you have the time and/or desire, to review and let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always appreciated. Thank you in advance!**

**THE LESSON FOR THE WEEK: COURAGE**

You should have known that today was going to be a bad day. You were up late last night talking to Rachel so you slept through your alarm. You didn't get any coffee because Mom took the last of what was in the pot with her to work and you didn't have time to make more. When you went outside to find your car covered in about three inches of fresh snow you cursed under your breath because now you wouldn't have time to swing through a drive-thru and buy a cup. When you finally got to school you had just enough time to get to your locker and then to AP Bio before you'd be considered tardy.

You should have known better than to think that running late and being without a caffeine fix would be the worst part of your day. When the bell rang dismissing you from your first class and Rachel rose slowly from her chair across the aisle from you with one of _those_ smiles on her face you automatically clench your thighs together because you know she's feeling mischievous and she's going to torment you for the fun of it. When she saunters past you in one of the _shortest, tightest _skirts you've ever seen her in you have to stifle the groan that threatens to make itself known. She gives you a demure look over her shoulder and her eyes are twinkling. She knows what she's doing to you and she's doing it on purpose. Just because last night when you were telling her about your fantasy of eating her out on top of Sue Sylvester's desk and she asked you what she should be wearing you told her it didn't matter because all of her skirts were basically the same. She has this need to prove you wrong and it fucking kills sometimes, how right she is.

You share five classes with Rachel plus glee club and there's absolutely nothing you can do about the constant state of arousal you're in all day. To the rest of the world you two are just friends and you know it's your fault that it's that way, but you're just not ready to come out. When you first confessed your attraction to her over a year ago she was understanding of your fears and concerns. Lately though it seems like she's growing impatient with you. The last couple months you two have had multiple conversations about what it would mean as individuals and as a couple to be open about your orientation and your feelings for each other. Rachel's made some really valid points, but you can't get past the fear that sits like a rock in your chest and strangles your lungs when you just _think_ about telling anyone that you're a lesbian.

You know she'd never force you to do something you weren't ready for, but she's also a very determined girl and she's made it clear that while she understands and respects your fears, she wants to be out. She wants to hold your hand in the halls and give you a kiss when you greet and part. She doesn't want anyone to think they have a chance with you just because to the world you're single. To be honest, you want those things too. So badly. So now every once in a while she gives you a day like today. She wears the most alluring outfit she can, usually one that you've told her specifically about when you're talking on the phone and touching yourselves. On those days she never touches you, not once. She'll walk by you close enough that you can smell the light hint of cinnamon or vanilla or whichever body lotion she went with that day, but she'll never touch you. It drives you crazy because any other day she'll at least hold your hand for a second or touch your shoulder to get your attention, but not when she's trying to torment you. It's her way of letting you know that if you were just honest about your relationship you'd be able to do _whatever the fuck_ you wanted to her.

By the time you make it to glee you're so on edge you hardly know what to do with yourself. You're so grateful the school day's almost over and that Mom is working a long shift today because all day long you've been thinking about all the things you want to do to Rachel once you get her to your house. When Mr. Schuester walks into the choir room (late) and writes a single word on that damned white board you see a look pass over Rachel's face and she shoots a glance at you that she quickly tries to hide when she realizes that you're staring at her and you saw the look and you realize that Rachel's life is not the only one that Mr. Schuester seems determined to ruin.

_Courage._ Well, shit. You focus on the front of the room, but you don't miss the way Rachel's shoulders snap up and she shifts in her chair anxiously. She's listening intently to whatever it is Schuester's saying, at this point you couldn't really give a rat's ass because you're pretty sure that Rachel's reaction to this little "life lesson of the week" is going to mean that your plans for the afternoon just got shelved for another serious talk about "being true to yourself and not letting others dictate how you live your life or who you love".

You basically attack Rachel the second the door to your bedroom shuts. It's mostly because you've been thinking about touching her all day and you can't wait to drag your lips and tongue over her skin, but it's also partly because you're hoping that you can distract her from the speech Mr. Schuester gave about facing our fears and trusting people who truly care about us not to judge us. You'd like to know what the fuck he's ever been so courageous about besides deciding to use Lubriderm in his hair instead of actual hair products. Yeah, you're sure that took some courage. Either way it seems to be working because you've got Rachel on your bed and she's making those soft whimpering sounds you love so much as you work the hem of her shirt up so you can nip at her _perfect_ stomach. You love the way her abdominals twitch as you alternate between licking, kissing, and nipping (gently, because you've learned that as much as Rachel likes to bite, she doesn't like pain herself).

You groan internally when her hand threads through your short hair and she softly calls your name.

"Quinn. Do you think we could talk for a little bit?"

You don't want her to know how disappointed you are because you don't want her to think that you only care about the physical aspect of your relationship, but seriously you've been so frustrated all day and all you want right now is to lose yourself in the girl beneath you. Plus, it's not like the opportunity of a parent free house is something you always have and you want to take advantage of it.

"You've been teasing me all day Rachel. Can't we talk later?" Even as you say it you know that she's going to win and you're going to end up talking now, so you crawl up her body and nuzzle your nose against her neck for a moment to take the sting out of your request. She lets you snuggle for a while but when you lean up to kiss her lips you can see the seriousness of her brown eyes and you know that this discussion isn't going to wait much longer so you kiss her gently and pull back with a sigh.

You know the answer to your question before you even ask it, but you still have to ask it.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"I've been thinking about the glee assignment for the week. I thought Mr. Schuester made some very interesting points and I was wondering what your thoughts were on the subject."

"I think the quality of courage is something to be applauded. A lot of people show how courageous they are in many different ways. Some of the sweaters you choose to wear to school are a perfect example of showing personal courage." You're trying to make a joke because you know she hasn't worn one of those sweaters in a few months. Obviously, she doesn't particularly feel like joking around with you because she sighs with exasperation and threads her fingers through your hair as she whispers your name in this disapproving and sad tone that just rips your insides apart. You've already been such a disappointment to everyone in your life and the last thing you want is to be that for Rachel, but it just feels like she's asking too much.

You pull away from her touch and get off the bed. Your chest is burning from the hurt you feel and you can't stand still so you're instantly pacing in front of your dresser and you _fucking hate_ Mr. Schuester right now for doing this to you. Why can't he just teach all of you about breath control and choreography and lead you through vocal exercises? Why does he have to interfere so much in your lives? Seriously, the guy's going to be in your life a maximum of four years and some of the shit he's forced you all to deal with is life-altering stuff that he doesn't have to deal with the consequences of. You do and you wish he'd just do his fucking job and stop trying to make your life a Saturday morning special.

Rachel's sitting on the edge of your bed now. Her eyes show concern as she watches you pace frantically. She wets her lips and you know exactly how far from calm you are because it does absolutely nothing to center you the way it usually does.

"Quinn, I need you to hear what I'm going to tell you. Do you think you can do that right now?"

Her voice is soft and gentle, but you also hear something else and it makes your feet slow. She sounds…determined and it worries you because when Rachel Berry is determined about something there is nothing that will stop her. You nod yes even though you're absolutely terrified of what she's about to tell you.

"I love you, Quinn. Every moment I spend with you I fall more in love with you. But I don't want to hide anymore. I understand why you don't want to tell your parents the truth, I really do, but you won't even let me tell my fathers and I tell them everything. You don't want _anyone_ knowing about us, not glee, not our friends, no one and it hurts me that you deny me."

"I'm not denying you!" It comes out as more a choking gasp. You're not sure what's making you panic more, the knowledge that Rachel is going to out you after promising that she'd never push you or the idea that she's about to break up with you.

There are tears in her eyes when she speaks again.

"Every day that goes by that you hide the fact that we're girlfriends is a denial of our feelings and our relationship. It makes what we have feel like pretend. Like one day you'll break up with me and it won't even matter because nothing we had was real or true because no one but us knew about it. Like a tree falling in the forest with no one to hear it."

"It still fucking falls," you nearly yell at her as you grip your arms tight around your stomach. It feels like you're going to throw up now. Maybe if you hold yourself tightly enough you can hold in everything that's threatening to spill out right now. "You have no idea Rachel! You're fathers may be concerned at first, but they'll be there for you. They'll support you and love you no matter what." Tears burn your eyes as you recall the most painful moment of your life. "Do you think my mom will even give me thirty minutes to pack if she finds out about us? You have no idea how terrified I am."

We're both fighting our tears now, but we're both so angry and upset right now that it's easier than it would be if we actually let ourselves calm down.

"You don't think I'm scared too? God, Quinn, the idea of telling certain people about us absolutely terrifies me, but that's why it takes courage. It takes courage to be true to yourself and I'm tired of lying. I've been lying for almost a year and I don't like how it makes me feel or who it's making me become. We don't have to tell your mom. All I'm asking is for us to be honest with a few people. My dads, glee club. We don't have to tell the whole world, but I need something from you, some give in this area to let me know that maybe someday you'll actually be comfortable enough to claim me as your girlfriend, to hold my hand when we walk down the street because right now I don't see you _ever_ doing that. You're hanging onto this secret so tightly that it's strangling us when if you'd just be honest, even with just a few people you'd be free."

You can't say anything to that, partly because you think it's probably true. You don't like the lies either and you hate that your need to keep this hidden has made Rachel feel the way it obviously has. Like what you two have is less than what it is. Like she's not worth the possible fallout.

She sniffles and then says more quietly, "Maybe it wouldn't be as bad as you've imagined. Maybe it would be amazing. We'll never know if we don't try."

You scoff at her and flinch slightly at the hurt in her eyes from your reaction.

"This isn't something you can just try Rachel. What am I supposed to do?" You change the pitch of your voice as you play out the scenario you foresee. "Oh, guess what Mom and student body, you know how I said that I'm a lesbian and I'm in love with Rachel and we've been dating for almost a year now? Well, yeah, I decided that since I'm now _homeless_ and you're all making my life a living hell that none of that was true. Can you all just go back to not knowing so I can go back to being at least partially happy with my secret girlfriend?"

She stands from the bed and swipes angrily at her eyes.

"You don't have to patronize me Quinn. And I'm sorry that you haven't been completely happy with me."

You roll your eyes. "That's not what I meant Rachel and you know it. I love you and I'm happy with you, but yes I would be happier if I were able to be open about how I feel, if I were able to do all those things you want me to. But I can't, Rachel. Don't you understand? _I can't._"

There's silence in the room for a while as each of you try to catch your breath and keep from saying anything else that could possibly cause harm to what is turning out to be a very tenuous relationship. She hasn't actually said she's breaking up with you yet and you're holding out hope that she'll have pity on you and let all of this go. When she raises her beautiful brown eyes and locks them on yours you have to bite your lip to keep yourself from breaking down right then and there.

"I hear what you're saying Quinn and I understand your fears. I promised you that I would never force you to come out and I will never do that. But I also can't hide anymore. I will be performing a song tomorrow in glee that I believe embodies the kind of courage that I want and need to express. I sincerely hope that you can find the courage you need to respond."

She leaves then and you basically have just enough energy to crawl onto your bed and sob into your pillow. It still smells slightly of Rachel which just makes you feel even worse. Mom comes home and you feign a migraine so you can skip dinner and stay in bed. You and Rachel usually call each other around nine to say goodnight or do other stuff depending on the mood. When the time comes and goes without your phone announcing her call something inside you twists and it feels as if you're dying.

You and Rachel have matching bloodshot and puffy eyes the next day and when Santana makes a comment about it you flip her off, which gets you detention because you did it right in front of Figgins and he's on some kick about showing respect to peers. You want to talk to Rachel, but you're not willing to budge on this issue and she's not willing to budge so what would be the point. You know it's unfair to expect her to stay hidden in the same way it would be unfair of her to out you. You know she won't do that to you. She wants you to do it yourself. For her, for yourself.

There's really no point in even attending classes right now because you're basically a zombie. It's not like this is the first time you two have fought, but it's the first time that it felt so close to being over and it scares you almost as much as telling your mother that Rachel doesn't come over to sleepover the way that Mercedes sometimes does. You wander into glee at the end of the day with a small kernel of hope that Rachel will back down. That's crushed when her hand shoots into the air when Mr. Schuester asks if anyone's had an opportunity to prepare anything that they feel displays courage.

You recognize the song as soon as Brad presses the first few keys on the piano and you close your eyes because if there was one song you want to hear Rachel sing and for you to be able to react to in a positive way, it's this one. She starts off soft, as if she's unsure because she's afraid of revealing too much, of showing her heart and facing rejection. The first few words remind you of what she told you last night, that she loves you more every moment you're together.

You notice that she's careful not to look directly at you. She's giving each member of glee equal attention. She's true to her word. She won't out you, but she's letting the glee club know that there's someone she loves and she's begging that person to choose her. When she goes into the first chorus it's almost plaintive, the way she sings it, not strong or challenging the way you'd imagine she'd sing it. You hate the uncertainty in her voice when she promises she's worth it to be held in your arms. She finally looks right at you when she sings, _Will I ever know how it feels to hold you close, and have you tell me whichever road I choose you'll go_. She saved the challenge for the next chorus and the power in her voice sends chills through you as she dares you to let her be your one and only.

When she finishes the last round of the chorus there are tears in her eyes and all you want to do is rise from your seat on the risers and wrap her in your arms and kiss her and tell her she _is_ the only one you want. But your feet won't work so instead you sit there as everyone claps and Mr. Schuester puts a comforting hand on Rachel's shoulder as she struggles with her tears and tries not to look at you. Mr. Schuester says he's proud of Rachel for expressing herself for the club, that being open to love takes courage and she's started off the week as a wonderful example.

As soon as you're all dismissed you follow after a speed-walking Rachel, but you're not fast enough because Finn beat you to her. They're standing near her locker and he has his hand on her shoulder and you want to rip his fucking arm off and use it to beat Mr. Schuester. As you approach you can make out enough of their conversation to realize that Finn thinks she sang the song for him and he's interested in seeing where things may go. _Oh Fuck No!_ Rachel sees you approaching and startles enough for Finn to look over his shoulder.

"Rachel, can we talk?" You kind of grind it out between your teeth because you're trying so hard to not go to jail for assault or murder or something like everything you want to do to the idiot giant standing way too close to your girlfriend. Because until she actually says the words she's still your fucking girlfriend.

"Um, Quinn," Finn says stupidly, "Rachel and I are already talking and it's kind of private. So, um, could you like call her later or something."

You clench your jaw tightly to keep from saying all the nasty things you want to say to him. Instead, you look at Rachel, begging her with your eyes to please get rid of Finn and talk to you. She blinks her wet eyes a couple times and then looks down at the floor when she hits you with her next words.

"Quinn I believe you said everything I needed to hear in glee. Right now I'm speaking with Finn."

You actually step back at the physical pain you feel at her dismissal. You turn quickly because the last thing you want is for Finn to see you crying and you know you won't be able to hold it back much longer. You leave so quickly you know that he'll just think you're angry. By the time you reach your car you're sobbing and you just sit there and cry until your chest aches from a lack of steady oxygen and you can hardly breathe from what the tears have done to your sinuses.

You don't know what you hope to accomplish when you arrive at Rachel's house later. You're angry and hurt, but you also haven't really spoken to her in almost twenty-four hours and it feels like too long. When she opens the door it's obvious she's been crying. She lets you inside, but any hope that you have of reconciling gets dashed when instead of leading you to her bedroom like she usually does, she takes you into the living room and sits down primly in a chair. The fact that she's made it impossible for you to sit next to her isn't lost on you and you kind of collapse on her couch because the air's been sucked from your lungs and you're not sure you have the strength to stand anymore.

"You sounded beautiful today," you finally rasp out softly. "I wanted so much to hold you and kiss you afterward. To tell you that you're more than worthy for me to love you; that you are the only one I want Rachel." You wipe quickly at your face as tears tickle you on their way from your eyes.

"Why didn't you?" Her voice is just as raw as yours and you wonder how she was even able to sing today, but it's Rachel and she's nothing if not professional.

You shake your head slowly as you try to figure it out. "I just couldn't. I couldn't make my legs work. I couldn't move." You're quiet for a moment. "This isn't fair Rachel. What you're doing. Giving me this ultimatum."

"It's not an ultimatum," she says defensively.

"Well, it feels like one. It's basically come out of the closet or I lose you."

She shakes her head. "Okay, so let's compromise. Just come out to glee. Let the club know that we're together, but that we'd appreciate their discretion because we're not ready to tell everyone. I don't mean for this to be an ultimatum Quinn, it's just that I can't live like this anymore. I thought I could, but I can't." Her voice breaks and you want to rush to her and crawl into the chair with her and just hold her, but you stay where you are because you're pretty sure this is where she actually says the words.

"Haven't you noticed that we've been fighting a lot more the last few months?"

You had.

"The strain of keeping this secret is too much. We have to be able to _talk_ to someone. Whether it's my dads or our friends, it doesn't matter, but keeping our relationship hidden feels like a lie and it makes me feel like I'm not important enough to you to be honest about how you feel about me." She's really crying now. "The doubts and lies are just too much Quinn. I could handle it for a while, but the last few months have been almost unbearable and it feels like we're fighting all the time because of it. I don't want to fight anymore."

Tears are streaming down your face and your chest hurts. Your throat feels like it's closing up but you manage to force the next words out.

"Are you breaking up with me Rachel?"

Even through your tears and the sob that escapes her throat you see her nod.

You have no idea how you even got home. Everything's a blur. You finally stopped crying about an hour ago but you can't find the energy to move at all. You just stare into the darkness of your room and watch the green digital numbers change slowly on your alarm clock. You're not even really thinking about anything. You just feel numb. When you see headlights paint a path across your bedroom wall you realize your mom just got home, but that's pretty much all you think.

She comes into your room a while later and lays her hand on your forehead, but you know you don't have a fever.

"Quinnie, what's wrong?" Her voice is gentle and concerned and it's just the last thing you want to hear right now. You immediately start sobbing again. You can't help yourself even though you thought you'd run out of tears they just keeping coming. Mom just kind of pulls you into her lap and rocks you as you cry against her stomach. Her hands thread gently through your hair and it's like when you were little and it calms you in a way.

You're still crying a little and your body is shaking with tiny hiccups when you hear Mom's tentative voice.

"I…I haven't seen Rachel around the last couple of days. Are you two having a fight?"

Your grip automatically tightens around her waist and you nod slightly because you can't even talk through the lump in your throat and the horrible pain you feel in your chest. You knew you loved Rachel, but you didn't realize how much until now. Losing her is the worst experience of your life except for giving up your baby. But at least with that you were able to comfort yourself with the knowledge that you were doing the right thing for Beth. It may have hurt, but at least you weren't being selfish. You can't find that comfort with this because you don't think that you're doing the right thing. You feel like you're being the most selfish you've ever been because you know that what Rachel said was the truth. You've even seen the change in her over the last few months, the strain that was put on both of you because of your need to keep the truth hidden. You feel guilty because you never really thought about what it meant for her to hide; that it fed her insecurities and undermined her self-esteem.

You feel Mom's hand across your back as she rubs slow comforting circles. "Oh, honey. I'm sure that whatever it is you girls are fighting about you'll be able to work it out. You're best friends. I've seen the both of you together and I don't think there's anything that could permanently end your friendship."

That brings on a fresh wave of tears because you realize you didn't just lose your girlfriend. You lost your best friend also. When Mom asks if you want to talk about it you shake your head. Eventually, you must have fallen asleep because the next thing you know your alarm is going off and you have to get up and get ready for another day of school.

It's absolute torture. Rachel avoids you as much as she can, but the few times you've caught glimpses of her you can see that she's just as heartbroken as you are. It all sucks because it's not like either of you fell out of love with each other. It's not like there's someone else that you'd rather be with. It's just that Rachel can't live a lie anymore and you can't be honest.

You sit in the far back corner during glee and scowl at anyone that even looks like they might attempt to sit by you. You try to ignore the fact that Finn is sitting beside Rachel or that he got up and sang about second chances and first loves. But it's really hard and as soon as Mr. Schuester even sounds like he's getting ready to dismiss the class you've grabbed your bag and are practically sprinting out of the choir room. You don't care if you made a scene or if everyone thinks you're pissed. You just don't want any of them to see you cry and right now you feel like you're about to have another meltdown right in the middle of the hallway. All you care about is getting out of this school that holds pretty much all of the worst moments of your life so far.

You can't wait to get out of Lima, but then that makes you start thinking about graduation and colleges. Which makes you think about New York because you applied to pretty much every single possible university within an hour of NYU, including NYU and now it feels more taunting than hopeful because you won't get the future you imagined there with Rachel. You don't really blame her for giving up on you. But it still hurts.

You haven't really eaten anything in three days so Mom doesn't let you get away with it tonight and you force down a few bites of the vegan lasagna she heated up for you. On the third bite you remember that the reason you have leftover vegan lasagna is because Sunday night Rachel came over for dinner and the two of you made it together. Tears fill your eyes as you remember the way she'd moved through your kitchen with such graceful ease. You remember how you'd imagined that the two of you were already in New York and that you were in your own kitchen and then you'd come up behind her while she was chopping up the zucchini and had placed your hands on her hips. You remember the feel of her body heat when you pressed your front to her back and whispered in her ear that if your mother wasn't in the house right now that you'd take her where she stood. She had shivered and pressed her ass against you and then tutted softly, "Promises, promises Quinn Fabray."

You don't even realize you're crying again until you feel Mom's arms around you and she's telling you that everything will be okay and she's sure you and Rachel will work things out. She helps you to your room and tucks you in like you're five years old again. It feels nice and you remind yourself that this feeling is why you're doing this, because you don't want to lose this feeling again. Like she cares, like she loves you. You just can't lose your mother again, but you can't help comparing what you're going through now, losing Rachel, with what you felt when she let you get kicked out of the house. The thing that scares you the most is that you hurt more right now than you did then.

The next day is pretty much more of the same and you wonder if this is what the rest of your senior year is going to be like. Then shortly after lunch you're walking to your locker and you see Finn hugging Rachel and it basically feels as if that guy from _Scream_ has eviscerated you a la Drew Barrymore. You try to tell yourself that it's just friendly because you know Rachel got over Finn a long time ago, but when Rachel pulls back and there are tears in her eyes when she spots you staring at them in the hallway and this look of…_guilt?_ passes over her face you know you don't hide the hurt very well when you spin around and flee in the other direction.

Pretty much everyone else has performed something in glee and Mr. Schuester makes it clear before you leave on that day that he expects something from you tomorrow. You fight the urge to flip him off. You want to yell and scream and hit him because where exactly is his courage? How many years did he stay in a loveless, deceitful, sham of a marriage while he pined away for Miss Pillsbury? And as soon as he was single did he do _anything_ that could be considered courageous in order to be with the crazy counselor? No. He basically just stood by and let Dr. Carl swoop in and steal her away and then he waited for the inevitable implosion of that disaster. And now look what he's done! His stupid fucking assignment has basically destroyed your life. So you just clench every muscle in your body as you leave the choir room before you can give him a piece of your mind.

The snow has stuck around so you're sitting in your car as you let it warm up just listening to the radio when you hear a soft tap on your window. You flinch because you didn't even see anyone approaching. Partially because there are tears welling in your eyes and partially because you were so lost in thought you had kind of forgotten where you even were. When you turn you see Rachel standing there all wrapped up in her winter wear and you can't help but think she's adorable, because she is. It just makes everything hurt more.

You roll your window down on instinct, but then you just wait for her to say whatever it is she's going to say. You're not even afraid anymore because really, what more could she do to you? Then the horrible thought of her dating Finn flashes through your mind and you know exactly what more she could do to you.

"Could we talk?" she asks quietly.

"I thought you'd already heard all I had to say." Your tone is biting and you know it's cruel to throw her own words back in her face, but everything _hurts so much_ and you can't help but resort back to old habits. Her eyes flash with hurt and her lips tremble and she just turns away. You're out of your car before you realize it. "Rachel, wait. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

She pauses and then turns back around. There are tears on her pink cheeks and her breath makes vapors as she stands in the freezing cold. You want to suggest that you both get in your car so you can talk, but you don't think you'd be able to handle the proximity so you don't say anything.

"I miss you," she finally whispers. It makes a small amount of hope balloon in your chest but you push it down in the next instant. "This is all so hard and it just seems harder because no one understands what's going on because no one even knew we were ever together."

You feel attacked again, like breaking up with you wasn't enough but now she has to remind you that the reason you're both in so much pain is because you couldn't own up to the truth of being in love with a girl. Your mind instantly flashes to Rachel and Finn in the hallway earlier and you feed on the jealous anger.

"You seemed to be getting plenty of comfort from Finn earlier."

She purses her lips and gives you a sad, disapproving look.

"Quinn, you know there's nothing going on with me and Finn."

"No, actually, I don't." Your voice rises a little but you can't really help it because this conversation may be the most you've actually talked in the last three days and you can feel all of the emotions you've been trying to not deal with fighting to escape all at once. "I know that he can give you what you want. What I couldn't. He can walk down the halls with you and hold your hand without fear of slushies or slurs being thrown at you. He can kiss you in public without the fear of judgmental looks or someone telling his mother that he's dating you. He can take you on a date and actually hold your hand and kiss you goodnight. So, no Rachel, I don't know that there's nothing going on between you and Finn because he can give you everything that's apparently so important to you that you broke up with me because I can't give it to you."

"I don't think I asked for too much, Quinn!" Now she's angry too. "All I wanted was for _someone_ to know about us. For you to love me enough to allow a few trusted friends and family to actually be aware of that love, but you couldn't even give me that. Just because I can't live a lie anymore doesn't mean I suddenly stopped loving you. I'm not going to just jump into someone else's arms."

"Maybe you should." You don't mean it and the look she gives you lets you know that she knows you don't mean it. "I'm not strong enough Rachel. I'm not strong enough to be what you need."

You watch as her throat works as she tries to swallow and her eyes dart all over the place. "You're stronger than you think you are," she chokes out before she's practically running across the parking lot to her own car.

You climb back into your now warm car but you can't bring yourself to go home yet. You feel absolutely exhausted and emotionally drained and you're so tired of crying. You feel like you demeaned what you and Rachel had by suggesting that she move on to someone else so quickly after dumping you and that just breaks your heart even more; which is strange because you didn't think it could get much more broken than it already was.

You find yourself across the street from the Berry's house. You don't see Rachel's car, but it's possible she parked in the garage because of the snow. You take a shaky breath and then force yourself to get out of your car and make the excruciatingly long walk up to her porch. You don't even realize you're holding your breath until the door opens moments after you rang the bell and Hiram Berry is standing in front of you with his thinning brown hair and wire-rim glasses.

You suddenly realize how awful you must look because his warm smile quickly turns to one of concern.

"Hello Mr. Berry. Is Rachel home?" You try to keep your voice from cracking on her name, but it's nearly impossible.

"I'm sorry Quinn, she isn't. She sent me a text saying she was going over to Kurt's."

You try not to let the fact that Kurt's place is also Finn's make you crazy jealous, but it's a real struggle. "Thank you," you sort of mumble as you start to head back to your car, but Mr. Berry calling your name stops you before you even make it down the first step. You wait patiently for him to speak. He seems really nervous suddenly and starts and stops a couple times before he actually manages to get some words out.

"Listen, I don't know what's going on right now. Rachel won't tell us anything, but Leroy and I have heard and seen the crying over the last few days. Now that I see you I think perhaps our daughter isn't the only one in such emotional turmoil and I can't help but think that, since we haven't seen you over here at all this week, the two are connected. Are you and Rachel fighting?"

You hate that you can't stop the tears from welling up in your eyes and so you turn your head quickly so he can't see them and just stare at the snow covered lawn as you try to compose yourself. You bite your lip hard and take a shaky breath. Mr. Berry seems to take this as confirmation.

"Oh, Quinn." His voice is gentle and you wonder how this man could be so kind toward you when he doesn't even know why you and Rachel aren't getting along anymore. For all he knows you could have cheated on her. Oh wait. No, he wouldn't think that because he doesn't know you've been dating his daughter for the last ten months. "Sweetie, out of all of Rachel's friends you know we adore you the most, right? And Rachel feels the same way. When you're not actually at our house she's always talking about you. It's all, Quinn said this or Quinn did this. She really cares about you Quinn and I'm sure that whatever is going on will blow over."

"I don't think it will this time," you manage to breathe out before you choke on a fresh sob. You sense a bit of hesitation but then he's wrapping you up in his arms and you realize that you haven't been hugged by a father figure in almost two years. It causes a fresh wave of tears and he tightens his grip and starts making shushing noises as he tells you it's all going to be okay. You suddenly realize how weird this should be because Rachel's dad is hugging you on his porch while you sob into his Northwestern sweater.

You force yourself to stop crying and pull back, but Mr. Berry keeps his hands on your shoulders and looks you straight in the face. With a sad smile he reaches up and wipes away your tears with the cuff of his sweater. "Rachel hasn't told us anything, but Leroy and I have discussed it before and we both get the sense that," he paused as he searched for the right words, "you're _discovering_ things about yourself that you're not ready for others to know. I want you to know that you're not the first to _discover_ these things about themselves and that if you ever need to talk to anyone, about anything, we're here."

Your breath catches in your chest and every muscle in your body freezes. _He knows. They know. Oh my God, Rachel's parents know!_ You feel panic settling in, but you force yourself to thank him before slowly walking back to your car, getting in, and driving home.

That night as you're eating dinner with your mother you wonder if Rachel came to your front door looking the way you had at the Berry's if she would have received the same treatment you had. You highly doubt it. You force yourself to take a few bites so that Mom doesn't worry about you eating while she's gone. Tomorrow's Friday and she's leaving work early to drive to Cleveland for the weekend and visit your sister and her husband and kids. You don't want her to cancel her plans because she's afraid you'll starve to death while she's gone so you give her the performance she needs to feel okay about leaving you alone.

You lie in bed that night watching the digital display on your clock and thinking about everything that's happened this week. Rachel was right when she said that you two had been fighting more in the last couple months. You hadn't really paid much attention to it because you're relationship has always been volatile, passionate. You are both intelligent, independent, and often stubborn women and that has led to heated discussions, but lately they've become worse and more frequent. You didn't realize until now that the root cause was the weight of the secret on your relationship.

The clock changes to 8:58. You think about glee club. You don't really consider all of them your friends, but the truth is that even when you were completely awful to them they kept your secret about the baby. At least they kept it to the confines of the glee club. You know Finn won't take it well, but you're pretty sure that Kurt and Puck would be able to keep him in line and at his very core Finn's basically a decent guy. You don't think he'd out you to deliberately hurt you.

8:59. You remember the warmth of Hiram's hug earlier and the support he offered. Apparently he and Leroy have known for a while that you're gay. You wonder if they know that you and Rachel are more than friends. Probably. It warms your heart that they've known but haven't pushed you to be open or hinted that they already knew. They really are good fathers, but beyond that they're good men and it gives you a feeling of strength to realize that they're in your corner. Even when you and Rachel are obviously having problems they still offer their support. That amazes you because you've never had an adult figure in your life so willing to just be there for you without expecting something in return.

9:00. Rachel. You look at your silent phone as images from the past year assault your memory. Rachel insisting that you stay the night after her drunken mess of a party last year. She had tried to make you feel better about losing Sam to Santana, but you'd been too drunk to hide the fact that what you missed most was the perfectly good beard he'd provided. Two months later when you were snuggled together on her couch and she was trying to talk herself through watching _Urban Legends_ with you was when you realized she was more than your best friend. She was making a pro/con list for herself on whether "Total Eclipse of the Heart" was ruined for her forever more because she sang it as an apology after the "Run Joey Run" fiasco or because she would now forever associate it with severed heads. You'd leaned forward and kissed her. It was soft and warm and terrifying and so, so perfect. When you pulled back her eyes were still closed but when she finally opened them her brown gaze was filled with happiness. Then she'd chastised you softly, "Now I'm going to have to make three pro/con lists," before she leaned in and kissed you back.

You throw your covers off quickly and walk to your desk, flip on the desk lamp and grab a pen and notebook. A quick swipe down the page and you've now divided it in half. You write PRO on the left side and CON on the right side, then you sit and chew your pencil for a moment before beginning to scribble on the page. After twenty minutes you're finished and you frown at the list you've made. You realize that a pro/con list only really works if you can weigh the value of each item listed. In sheer quantity the cons far outweigh the pros. You've really only written two things in the pro list, maybe you're not very good at this. You run your finger across the ink at the top of the left column, directly above _no more lies_ and you're pretty sure that even if it were the only thing in that column it would still outweigh all of the cons you could think of. You smile as your fingers delicately trace the lines that spell _Rachel_. With a smile on your face and a sick feeling in your stomach you turn your computer on and start going through your music library. After all, you have a glee assignment due tomorrow.

You know you still look completely devastated but you've made a decision and even though you're absolutely terrified, just the fact that a decision has been made creates a calm within you that makes it easier to deal with Rachel breaking up with. Not to mention the knowledge that by the end of the day you will have remedied that situation. You want to avoid Rachel today not because it's too painful to see her, but because you have a plan and you don't want anything to derail it. Rachel seems determined to do so because for whatever reason she tries to get you alone all day. Her eyes are wet with tears and wild with desperation when she corners you in the bathroom after lunch.

"Quinn, please, I know that you're angry and hurt but I really need to talk to you."

You're saved by a couple freshmen walking in at that moment.

"After glee," you tell her as you brush by her to head out the door. She grabs your arm and her warm fingers on your skin send shivers through your body. The reaction this girl is able to elicit in you is unreal. Her eyes fill with tears and she looks at you pleadingly. "I promise Rachel. We'll talk after glee, okay?"

She seems appeased with this response and nods her head in that short way she does when she's accepted something. _So freaking adorable._

You have about fifteen minutes between your last class and the final glee meeting of the week and you spend it in the bathroom throwing up. You've never been this nervous for a performance. You know it's not really the performance that is making your palms sweat, your heart race, and your stomach revolt. You wash your mouth out in the sink and stare at yourself in the mirror as you try to work up the courage to walk into the choir room and basically out yourself. _You can do this, _you tell your image. _They're your friends. They've accepted Kurt and Santana. They accept that Brittany just loves and that Puck's a man-whore. They'll support you. And Rachel. Rachel loves you._ You smile at that thought and push yourself off the sink.

You realize you're a little late when you see that everyone's already there including Mr. Schuester. Rachel gives you a relieved look. She must have thought you were going to bail in order to avoid talking to her like you promised. _Not today, Rachel, _you smile at her, _I'm not going to bail again._

"Mr. Schuester, I've prepared a song for this week's lesson."

He smiles like he's actually accomplished something and you want to wipe that satisfaction right off his face, but this isn't about him. You're surprised when Rachel rises from her seat.

"Quinn, please, you don't have to," she starts, but Mr. Schuester interrupts her.

"Rachel, you already had your chance to perform and no one tried to stop you. You need to give Quinn the same opportunity."

She bites her lip and shakes her head slowly at you, her expressive brown eyes begging you to talk to her. You've already made up your mind. You're going through with this and waiting any longer is just going to make it more difficult. You go to stand beside the piano because you suddenly need something to hold onto just to keep yourself upright. Your hands are shaking and your knees feel weak as you scan the small group of expectant faces. Your gaze lands on Rachel and you close your eyes and take a deep breath before nodding toward Brad and the rest of the band to begin.

You keep your eyes closed through the first part of the verse because you can't bring yourself to really look at Rachel yet. Your voice is slightly shaky, but it works with the simple piano work that opens the song. It also works with the words you're saying and the truth in them.

_The best thing 'bout tonight's that we're not fighting. Could it be that we have been this way before?_

You force your eyes open and focus on Rachel's wide brown eyes as she stares at you. She's all you see and all you want to see. You want her to know that this is for her. That you mean these words even if you didn't write them yourself.

_I know you don't think that I am trying. I know you're wearing thin down to the core._

You keep the soft tentative measure to your voice as you enter the first chorus, but your eyes never leave Rachel's.

_But hold your breath because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you, over again. Don't make me change my mind. I won't live to see another day I swear it's true._

You steel your entire body against the next words. You know they're all probably expecting you to change the pronoun, but you haven't lost your focus. Those brown eyes, that beautiful girl; _she's_ who you're singing for and you almost smile as you take a breath and continue to sing.

_Because a girl like you is impossible to find. You're impossible to find._

You can sense the shift within the room. The murmurs are audible and you see people looking questioningly at each other, but you force all of that out. You need to finish this and as the rest of the band comes in you feel the rush of the music pushing you forward. There's a feeling inside your chest that feels like you're bursting and you realize it's freedom and relief. There's no going back now and it actually feels…._good._ When you move into the next verse you notice the difference in your own voice. It's stronger now, more determined.

_This is not what I intended. I always swore to you I'd never fall apart. You always thought that I was stronger. I may have failed, but I have loved you from the start._

When you move into the second chorus you don't hold back and this time when you say _girl_ you emphasize it and smile a little at Rachel, who you now realize is crying. When you get to the bridge tears well in your eyes and spill over because you just _feel _so much and you need to share that with her.

_So breathe in so deep. Breathe me in, I'm yours to keep. And hold onto your words 'cause talk is cheap. And remember me tonight when you're asleep._

You make it through the last two chorus' even though there are tears streaming down your face. You're amazed because you're not sad or scared. You're just unbelievably happy and relieved. You feel light, as if a weight has been lifted off and you can finally breathe again. Everyone is quiet as the last piano chord trails off and you watch as Rachel rises from her seat. She's full on sobbing right now and you can't wait to hold her in your arms again, but instead of coming to you she's running out the door. _Wait. What?_ This isn't how it's supposed to happen. This is what she wanted. You did what she wanted.

The weightlessness you felt a moment ago suddenly comes crashing down. You're amazed that you're even still breathing because it feels as if your entire body has been crushed. You think maybe your bones have been pulverized because you fall to the ground and there's a horrible sound in the choir room. You realize it's you. You're crying harder than you ever have in your life. You barely register Kurt getting up and running after Rachel and in the next instant you feel warm arms around you and Santana's voice whispering in your ear. "It's alright Q. I got you."

The sound of everyone else suddenly coming to life after your revelation is just white noise to the pounding in your head. You can't get control of yourself. Glee is basically over so Santana and Brittany help you to your car. Santana drives you home with Brittany following in her car and they make sure you're safely in your bed. Your uncontrollable sobbing has finally tapered off to occasional hiccups and a constant stream of tears. You insist that you're fine and you just want to be alone. Santana gives you this concerned look which actually terrifies you, but then Brittany's hugging you and telling you that she liked your song and she's sure Rachel wasn't trying to be mean. They leave after that and you collapse back into your bed and curl up around a pillow.

It feels as if your life is over and for a split second you think that might be preferable to the pain you feel, but you push that aside because you're not fucking suicidal over some girl. But she's not just any girl. She's Rachel Berry and you're in love with her and she just rejected you in front of the entire glee club after telling you that all she wanted was for you to be honest about your feelings for her with a handful of people. You're so confused. Did she not mean it? Had she just used that as an excuse to break up with you, thinking that you'd never intentionally out yourself?

You have no idea how much time has passed. You must have cried yourself to sleep because you're awakened by the ringing of the doorbell. You don't have the energy to move, let alone get out of bed so you ignore it. But whoever is there is extremely persistent and they ring it three more times before they begin pounding on your front door. Now you're pretty sure you know who's on your front step and you really don't want to see her right now so you just bury your head further in the pillow and breathe a sigh of relief when the pounding finally stops.

A few minutes later you hear movement on the stairs and you figure it's either Rachel or a serial killer coming to kill you. Either way, you really can't find the energy to care. You lie still on your bed with your face against a pillow. Even when you feel the shift in the air from your bedroom door being pushed open, you still don't move. You hear her whisper your name from the doorway and you try not to react to her voice, but it causes an uncontrollable constriction in your chest anyway. There's the sound of movement and when she says your name again she's standing right beside your bed. You still ignore her until you feel her hand begin to brush across your hair. Then you jerk away.

"Go away, Rachel." Your voice is gravely from the amount of crying you've been doing and your words are forceful.

"Oh thank God," she breathes quietly, "I was afraid you…" she just trails off. There's an uncomfortable silence which in itself is really weird because even before the two of you were dating there were never uncomfortable silences between you. "Quinn, I need to explain."

"I don't need a fucking explanation Rachel. I need you to go." You still haven't looked at her and you're determined not to because you don't want her to see that you're still crying. You just can't seem to make the tears stop.

"Quinn, please," she begs tearfully, "please just let me explain. And if you still want me to leave afterward," she pauses and then finishes quietly, "then I'll leave."

You don't tell her to leave, but you also don't turn toward her. If she wants to explain she can do so to your back. You can hear her struggling to control her tears and you want to take comfort in the fact that she's obviously hurting as well, but you've always hated it when she cries and you can't find that kind of disdain for her anymore.

"Okay, so, um, I'm not sure where exactly to start. I wish I'd been able to prepare properly." She's quiet for a moment and then she starts again. "Daddy told me that you stopped by yesterday. He said you were visibly upset and he was worried about both of us. I broke down and told him everything. I guess he and Dad already knew about us. They have for a while. When I told him why we had broken up he said," her voice cracks, "he said he'd never been so disappointed in me."

You're instantly more alert at this. You feel conflicting emotions. On the one hand it's pretty crazy that Hiram would take your side on anything against Rachel. On the other hand you're instantly angry at him for making Rachel feel awful.

"He said that when a person comes out is a personal choice that should be left up to that person and that no one has the right to force that, no matter how well-meaning their intentions. He said that I've been raised in a very open, accepting household, but that I should be empathetic toward those who haven't; that considering your upbringing it was a miracle you'd even accepted your sexuality for yourself at this point in your life, let alone announcing it to anyone."

Rachel's sobbing again and you can't stop yourself from slowly turning on your bed so you can look at her. Her head is in her hands and her small shoulders are shaking with the force of her regrets and guilt. You don't want her to feel guilty. Yes, she may have pushed you, but it was still your choice. You pull yourself to a sitting position and start to reach out to her, but she doesn't see you because her eyes are still hidden behind her hands.

"It felt like I'd been slapped. This whole time I kept thinking that if you really loved me you'd do this one thing, but the truth is if _I loved you_ I wouldn't make you do this. You were right, it was an ultimatum. And I'm so sorry, Quinn. I'm so, so sorry. I tried to stop you. I tried to talk to you all day today. I wanted to tell you that I was sorry and that I wanted us to be together because being with you in any capacity is so much better than this horrible ache in my chest when I'm not with you. And then when you said you were going to sing in glee I tried to stop you again, but you wouldn't listen and then Mr. Schuester was an ass and I just didn't know what to do because if I forced the issue it would have made a scene and then what if I was wrong and you weren't about to do what I thought you were going to."

Everything's starting to fall into place now and it all makes a little more sense. You can't help smiling a little at her confession that she wants to be with you in any capacity. That's how you feel about her too. You slowly rise from the bed and wrap your arms around her. You feel her tense for a split second and then she's just collapsing against you, her body shaking with the effort of crying. You hold her tight and dip your nose into her hair. You've missed the warmth of her body and the smell of her shampoo. It fills you with a joy and comfort you've only ever known with her.

"Rachel, honey, sshhh," you whisper close to her ear.

She shakes her head no and starts to mumble against your shoulder.

"You were so brave today Quinn. Mr. Schuester wants to talk about courage and being strong. Watching you today, God, Quinn, it was breathtaking. You were breathtaking. The way you stood in front of everyone and I could see how terrified you were, but you just pushed through it. You're the epitome of courage. As I watched you basically rip yourself open in front of everyone…for me…I just, I felt so unworthy. I pushed you into something you weren't ready for and I didn't deserve to hold you and tell you how proud I was or how much I love you because I'm a horrible, horrible girlfriend and person."

"Stop it," you tell her sharply. "You're not a horrible person Rachel. Don't ever think that, okay?" You sigh heavily as you try to organize your thoughts. "Listen, Rachel, I think in this instance we've both been right and wrong. Would I have made the decision to come out to the glee club like that if you hadn't broken up with me? No, probably not. But I also wouldn't have realized that we have some serious cracks forming in our relationship if you hadn't pointed them out to me by breaking up with me, some problems that I want to work really hard at fixing. Because I love you, so much, and I don't want to lose you."

You're both quiet for a while as you just stand in the middle of your bedroom and hold each other. Rachel's tears have subsided and you release her slowly and grab the box of tissues beside your bed to hand to her. She smiles shyly and pulls a few out of the box, turning away from you so she can clean her face off. Her voice is quiet, but calm when she speaks again.

"I don't know how you can possibly forgive me for this Quinn. I'm so sorry I just ran out of the choir room like that, but when I realized what you'd done because of me I just felt so ashamed."

"Don't feel ashamed," you tell her quietly. You sigh heavily. "Rach, the truth is I think I kind of knew you were going to stop me, but I'd made my decision and in the end that's what it is…_my_ decision. I want to show you something." You walk over to your desk and pick up the list you made the night before and hand it to her. You feel the corner of your lip twitch into a smile when she makes the most adorable face as she frowns at the paper.

"If this is your pro/con list why did you sing the song? Why would you out yourself to the glee club like that when the cons for you clearly outweigh the pros?"

"They may be more in number, but they don't outweigh the pros in value. Rachel, _you_ are the most important thing in my life right now and being with you, in an open, honest relationship, even if it's only our friends and your dads that know about it; that's what's most important to me. When stacked up against anything Rachel, you'll win every time."

In the next instant you have a bundle of brunette in your arms and you're clinging to each other as if you haven't held each other in forever.

"Quinn, can you forgive me?" she says quietly against your neck.

"Already done."

She's quiet for a moment and then you hear, "Can I keep the list?"

You chuckle softly. "Yes."

She pulls back and looks in your eyes. You let yourself get lost in them for a moment and then she's speaking again.

"Quinn. Can….can we be together again?"

Your chest blooms with such a feeling of love and adoration and relief and…happiness that you think you may explode.

"Yes," you breathe softly as you move forward and gently kiss her beautiful lips.

It doesn't take long for gentle to turn passionate and you're sucking her bottom lip between your teeth as your hands roam across her rib cage under her shirt. You gasp a little when she squeezes your ass and grinds into you and she uses that to slip her tongue in your mouth. When you cup her breast and scrape your nail across the fabric of her bra where her taut nipple is she pulls away quickly. Her eyes are dark with her desire and her lips are red and swollen. She looks so fucking sexy.

"You're so fucking sexy," you voice your thoughts as you reach for her again and suck hard on the space of her neck just above her collarbone. She cries out and cants her hips forward into you.

"Where's your mom?" she gasps huskily.

"Cleveland," you tell her between kisses. "Fran." Simple words are all you can handle right now because your mind is consumed with need and your lower abdomen is clenching and tingling with desire. "Kids," you explain as you lick across her collarbone and then nip gently with your teeth at the edge of her shirt on her shoulder.

"Oh God," she breathes against your lips as she pulls your face back to hers and forcefully devours your mouth.

In less than five minutes you're both completely naked and lying on your bed. Her hands are all over you, squeezing your breast then sweeping down across your stomach then moving around and up your back as she gently drags her short nails across your skin. It hasn't even been a full week that you were apart, but it feels like an eternity and you can't believe how good she feels beneath you. How soft and warm her skin is as you run your hands across every inch of her.

You want to take your time. You want to drag this out and make her feel how much you desire her, how much you love her, but you're consumed with need and it's obvious that she feels the same way. Besides, your mom is out of town and you have the entire weekend to take your time. Right now you just want to take her.

You whisper, "I love you", against her ear as you push two fingers through the slickness between her legs and you feel a fresh wave of your own arousal when this amazing whimpering moan escapes her chest. Her hips quickly match the rhythm of your fingers and you have to force yourself to concentrate on your movements when you feel her small fingers reciprocate your movement.

It's extremely rare that either of you have had the freedom that an empty house provides and the sounds that fill your room for the next few moments do nothing but add to the fire that's quickly building in your belly. Rachel isn't really loud, but she is vocal and you love every single gasp and moan and half-whimper that escapes her lips. What you really love, though, are her breathy "I love you's" and how when you're both so close to the edge that there almost isn't a rhythm to your movements she just keeps saying your name over and over so that when her muscles contract around your fingers it's your name that escapes her lips in a rush of breath and pleasure. You grind down one more time on her fingers that suddenly stilled inside you and it's all you need to follow her as your orgasm surges through your body in waves.

You move off her and then pull her close so that your warm bodies are still completely connected. She moves her legs between and around yours so that you're as intertwined as possible. It's a few moments before either of you are able to breathe steadily so you just hold her tight and feel her body relax into you.

"We should probably talk," she says against your chest where she's tucked her head. You can feel her lips moving against your skin as she places soft, slow kisses against the top of your breasts. You nuzzle your nose into her hair and breathe deeply before nodding your agreement.

"Can you stay the weekend?"

"I'll ask my dads, but I'm sure they'll say yes."

You pull her closer even though it's really not possible to get any closer than you already are and run your fingers slowly up and down the soft planes of her back. An entire weekend together sounds like exactly what you both need. There will be plenty of time to talk and to make up and to just….be. A small glimpse into what you hope your future will be like when you're in New York together.

"Quinn?" she asks quietly between kisses that have now turned from soft brushes to wet and open-mouthed tongue laving.

"Yeah?" You're barely able to choke it out as sharp arousal makes itself known once again. You whimper as she grinds her still wet core against you and pulls your nipple into her warm mouth.

"Do you remember what we were discussing on Sunday night?"

You frown as you try to remember Sunday but it's really difficult with the way her tongue is swirling around your now stiff peak. She leaves your breast and starts moving down your stomach, sucking and nipping on her way down and then you remember. Sylvester's office and…oh God. She must feel the shift in you as you remember because she chuckles softly as she licks and then sucks softly on your hip bone. Her voice is low and seductive when she speaks again.

"I thought perhaps we could change the location for the moment."

You don't even try to stop the whimper that flies from your open mouth as she grins at you lasciviously from between your thighs and when she lowers her mouth without breaking eye contact you can't help the fleeting thought that if all of Mr. Schuester's life lesson plans could end this amazingly you just might nominate him for teacher of the year.

**A/N: I didn't want to reveal the songs before the story so now I'm going to say that I don't own the songs either. They are "One and Only" by Adele and "Fall For You" by Secondhand Serenade.**


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